> This this means that there is no such thing as the right  foundation/cell size for ' the European honeybee'. 

It may also mean that there is no such thing as the *wrong* size, either. So long as it is within a realistic range, the bees will use it willingly. 

If too small, they may reject it. If too large, they may use it to raise drones. Having run a foundation mill for 5 years (1975-80), I have always felt that the slightly larger size that is in general use was adopted primarily to make foundation easier to make. Definitely, it is harder to make thin foundation and more cells would increase the difficulty as well.

Pete

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